Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 25: Bucky Barnes - Arachnid (Part II)

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"Come on, let's just get to the mountain. I still have a bunch of work to do."

Dirty dishes went into the kitchen sink.

The four of us went into the basement and then the elevator.

"I was... thinking..." I started.

"About?"

"You don't have to show me around today."

"I'm fine."

"Your ankle isn't."

"So I take it that the dirt bikes are a no?"

"Val, that one is bent in half," I stated, pointing at the mangled mess.

"To be fair, I wasn't actually on it when it decided to hug a tree."

"...."

"I was... falling off a tree branch... when that... umm, happened...? 'Kay, fine. No motorbikes for the next little while. We'll just take something else for a spin."

"Is there something that's... safe?"

"Depends if the Arachnid is still...."

Her hand knocked along the wall before some other section 93 centimeters away rose. Behind it was an eight legged contraption. Looked less like transportation than a 4 by 4 meters claw ready to crush us. All of it painted in different shades of green and brown.

"It's still here," she said smiling fondly at monstrosity.

I grabbed onto her when she tried to get close to that... thing.

"...Bucky...?"

"...You're sure this is safe to be around?"

"Yup. Perfectly safe.... As long as you don't fall off.... Or get stomped on.... Or get caught in the gears.... But yeah, totally safe," she stated, sounding not even a bit convincing. Even with that bright grin slapped onto her face.

"How is this even safe...?"

"...There are handles on the platform you can grab onto if you're nervous?"

I had to make sure myself. Balanced precariously between two of the legs. Using the lattice structure as steps to get high enough to see.

Drop body on head. Target incapacitated.

A circular platform. 138 centimeters wide. Lined with a cushion. Two metal handles on opposite sides. A little spiral flower on the edge. A game console controller perched in the middle.

"Does it pass inspection? Can I be let down yet?"

Reluctantly, I placed her on the right side and hopped on, staying to her left. Made sure I knew the handle's location. If she fell off, I'd be close enough to prevent that.

And then she shuffled to face the other way. Controller in hand.

Her laughter bounced off the curving walls, as I switched our spots. All the while, she was trying to put on her glasses without jabbing out an eye.

Valeriy tapped on the little spiral flower. "This is the front. Now time to wake her up."

She held down a button and a couple seconds later, it hummed to life. She pushed forwards on the left joystick and the eight legs worked together to move forwards.

Far faster than I thought it could.

Right over the unidentifiable contraptions.

Crawling straight for a wall.

I could hear the handle squealing against metal fingers.

"Val?" I called out nervously.

"I'm not going to run us into walls," was her immediate response. Laughter just bubbling under the surface.

The machine stopped with a jerk. Slapping up at the wall as the platform swung towards it with the momentum, she plucked a small silver box from the hidden compartment before the door could drop back in place.

A click from the box and the wall to the right opened up. The legs of the machine scuttled to the side a couple of steps before it raced down a dimly lit tunnel.

"Before you close the wall," I said quickly, glancing behind us where two winged balls hovered. Cameras. Cameras likely matched the obscured lens of her glasses.

"Hmm?"

"Can they come with us?" I asked, motioning to Ixie and Zephyr. "They need exercise, and I think running laps around the boulder was boring for them."

"...Uhhh sure.... Zeph! Ix! You're going for a run! Keep up!"

Over the gears, hydraulics, and clunks of the metal feet, I could barely make out the nails of the dogs running after us.

We came out of the mountain from the cliff. Near the waterfall. North of the fake boulder.

"I'll show the perimeter route you can take!" she yelled over the water's rumble. "Never stray off it! We do what we can to deter people from getting this close with false information and difficult to deal with terrain. But this high up, we're using things that end up with dead bodies. If you do step off the path, just stay where you are and I'll come find you."

"Got it."

I couldn't help but duck when we dove into the treeline.

But Valeriy maneuvered the height of the platform, the legs, everything to make this large hunk of metal move through the trees like the wind. As if this was an extension of herself.

Four legs were always on a surface. Four legs were always on the move. Alternating between each other seamlessly with each combination of buttons she pushed. The harsh sloping ground, the rocks, the trees, none of them made a difference. Even if one leg slipped, the others held up.

The only thing that wasn't smooth with the controls was when the platform would jerk when it spun. Sometimes from the twitch in her right hand. Most of the time it was due to pushing the sliding button too far too fast. There were times I felt like I'd spin right off the side with the adjustments.

Ixie and Zephyr trailed behind us. Finding their way over the stream by jumping from rock to rock.

I couldn't help myself from scooting back when a drop came to sight. Grabbed onto the back of her shirt. We weren't slowing down. By the time the platform we sat on spun to face the new direction, the legs were already going that way.

4.9 kilometer to the cliffs. On a winding path. Not an easy route to run. Barely any flat stretches.

Push over the cliff. Target incapacitated.

"I'll show you some routes on the cliff when I'm more healed. It's a fun climb...? If the rock slides aren't set off...."

No matter how relaxed she was, I still tugged her closer. Away from the platform's edge. Away from the cliff and the valley below.

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Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

This part was edited by the Anonymous Second Beta and the new beta TinselA/Bunny Carrot (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7591081/).